Program Admission

If you are seeking admission to a graduate degree program in Collaborative Teacher Special Education, you should follow the guidelines provided below. Whenever you have any questions during this application process, you should contact the Program Director, Dr. Diane Pevsner dpevsner@uab.edu

The alternative masters requires the AECTP Basic Skills and the Praxis II in the teaching field. Detailed information about all of these exams is provided in the AMP Information Packet.

1. Go to the ApplyYourself website. Create an account, write down your username and password, and log out. After receiving an email from the ApplyYourself website, you should log in and proceed with submitting an application. NOTE: If you submitted another type of application to UAB in the past, you will need to create a new ApplyYourself account.

2. Plan to submit all required application materials by the admission deadline: April 1st for summer admission July 1st for fall admission November 1st for spring admission

3. Submit a Degree-Seeking Application to the Graduate School for admission to your degree program.

Alternative Masters Program (AMP)

Education-Collaborative Teacher K-6 Education 5th year (MAE)

Education-Collaborative Teacher 6-12 Education 5th year (MAE)

Education-Early Childhood Special Education 5th year (MAE)

Education-Visual Impairments K-12 (MAE)

Traditional Masters Program (MA)

Education-Collaborative Teacher K-6 or VI (MAE)

Education-Collaborative Teacher 6-12 (MAE)

Education-Early Childhood Special Education (MAE)

Education-Visual Impairments K-12 (MAE)

Educational Specialist (EdS) Program

Education-Collaborative Teacher: Autism Spectrum Disorder (EdS)

Education-Visual Impairments: Orientation & Mobility

4. Pay $45 ($60 for international students*) online with a credit card.NOTE: Mailing a check will severely delay your admission.

*International Students should Click here to learn about additional obligations and to establish contact with UAB’s International Recruitment and Student Services (IRSS).

5. Request official transcripts from all colleges attended (even if just for one course and even if you happened to take that course during high school). Request that your former colleges send official transcripts directly to each of these addresses: UAB Graduate School 1720 2nd Avenue South-HUC 511; Birmingham, AL 35294-1150 UAB School of Education, Office of Student Services 1720 2nd Avenue South-EB 100; Birmingham, AL 35294-1250

6. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Dr. Diane Pevsner dpevsner@uab.edu . As the Program Director, she will be able to find answers for your questions.

7. Periodically check the status of your application by visiting: Admission Status. You may also inquire about your status by contacting the Graduate School (205-934-8227 gradschool@uab.edu ). Once you receive confirmation that all of your application materials have been received, it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for your application to be processed. If you are experiencing difficulties in confirming the receipt of your application materials, you should contact Dr. Diane Pevsner dpevsner@uab.edu.

8. You will receive a letter from the Graduate School congratulating you on your admission as a degree-seeking student. You will also receive an email from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) at the School of Education (SOE). This email will probably provide information about your major and your advisor.

9. As soon as you can, follow through with all instructions provided in your admission letter from the Graduate School especially with respect to processing your BlazerID and UAB email.

10. After you have obtained your BlazerID and email, you will be able to register for classes. Depending on when you register, there will be a deadline for paying the first half of your tuition. Failure to meet this deadline will cause you to be automatically dropped from your courses, and you will need to pay a reinstatement fee.

To be eligible for unconditional admission to this program, candidates must hold either an Alabama Class B or Class A certificate in any field of special education OR have at least 2 years of verified, full-time teaching experience with special populations and hold a valid Class A Professional Educator Certificate.

To pursue an Ed.S. Degree with Class AA certification through UAB's Collaborative Special Education Program: Autism Spectrum Disorders Concentration, you must meet several eligibility requirements; these requirements include ,but may change as needed, to maintain your current degree and certification endorsed by the Alabama State Department of Education: (Please note that an Ed S program is also referred to as a 6th year program) Review and implementation of this criteria should occur with the guidance and interpretation of your advisor.

• Gain unconditional admission to the UAB Graduate School as a degree-seeking student by:

• provide at least three acceptable online recommendations through the UAB Graduate web-site;

• pass applicable state and national assessments that became effective December, 12, 2012;standardized testing such as the MAT or GRE are no longer required;

• demonstrate two years of "substantial" teaching experience with Class A Professional Educator Certificate working with exceptional populations, including individuals within the spectrum and a GPA of 3.25;

• Provide documentation that you have earned either a Class B or Class A Alabama teaching special education certificate with a GPA of 3.0.

• You must provide documentation that you hold a Class A Professional Educator Certificate in all cases.

• If you do not have either a Class B or Class A Alabama teaching certificate in collaborative teaching (either K-6 and/or 6-12), categorical special education, or early childhood special education, it is incumbent that you contact the program coordinator and schedule an appointment to learn how you can meet the program requirements and develop your individualized checklist.(non –degree status)

• Provide documentation of any teaching experiences you have had with individuals with autism spectrum disorders for assistance in planning and scheduling an appropriate individualized course of studies

For all students who have been admitted to the Class AA Collaborative Teacher Program, you must meet the following requirements in order to be certified at the Class AA level; these requirements include, but may change as needed, to maintain your current degree and certification endorsed by the Alabama State Department of Education::

• Satisfactory completion of a State approved program with a minimum of 3.25 or higher for all courses on the Alabama State Board of Education in the Collaborative Special Education Program: Autism Spectrum Disorders Concentration Program Checklist as verified on your official checklist or 3.0 with documentation of current teaching with individuals in the spectrum;

• Passage of the Praxis II prior to your graduation if you are pursuing initial certification in Collaborative Teaching K-6 (and relevant assessments) required by the Alabama Department of Education as part of your certification requirements (reference p.4 of this document).

For students who hold initial certification in Collaborative Teaching: K-6 or 6-12 prior to beginning this program.

• Upon completion of all coursework and certification requirements above, you will be certified in Collaborative Teaching at the level at which you were initially certified in this field at either the Class B or Class A level unless:

o You complete all assignments and requirements for Collaborative Teaching at the level at which you are seeking additional certification (i.e., Collaborative Teaching K-6 or Collaborative Teaching 6-12) as outlined in the course syllabi. You must successfully met the following requirements:

• If you were initially certified at the Collaborative Teaching K-6 level and want to add Class AA Collaborative Teaching 6-12 certification, you must complete the following: (Draft: Program is being reviewed the Summer of 2013)

• ECT 656 Secondary Methods for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

• ECT 671 Practicum in Collaborative Teaching: 6-12

• Complete all Collaborative Teaching 6-12 requirements as outlined in the Class AA syllabi for this concentration.

• If you were initially certified at the Collaborative Teaching 6-12 level and want to add Class AA Collaborative Teaching K-6 certification, you must complete the following: (Draft: Program is being reviewed the Summer of 2013)

• Complete ECT 655 Elementary Methods for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

• Complete ECT 670 Practicum in Collaborative Teaching: 6-12

• Complete all Collaborative Teaching K-6requirements as outlined in the Class AA syllabi for this certification.

To be eligible for unconditional admission to this program, candidates without an initial certification in Collaborative Teaching must meet the following requirements, in addition to the admission criteria delineated above:

• Hold at least a current Alabama Class B or Alabama Class A teaching certificate in any field of special education.

• Complete additional coursework requirements to meet either the Collaborative Teaching K-6 or Collaborative 6-12 state standards. This means that candidates must complete additional coursework and assessments to demonstrate they have met state standards for Collaborative Teaching. In the event that a candidate seeks both K-6 and 6-12 certifications in Collaborative Teaching, he or she must meet the additional course requirements and assessments for both K-6 and 6-12 standards.

• After attending a required initial orientation meeting designed to familiarize the candidate with the Collaborative Teaching K-6 and 6-12 requirements embedded within the courses in this program. The candidate will meet with his or her program coordinator at this time and decide if a K-6 and/or 6-12 track will be pursued as part of this program. Once a decision has been made as to which level(s) a Collaborative Teaching certification will be pursued, the candidate may not change his or her mind about this level of certification once coursework has begun.

• Successfully complete a methods course and practicum in Collaborative Teaching at the level of certification sought. For students seeking Class AA certification in Collaborative Teaching K-6, the following additional course and practicum must be completed: (Draft: Program is being reviewed the Summer of 2013)

o ECT 655 Elementary Methods for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

o ECT 670 Practicum in Collaborative Teaching: 6-12

• For students seeking Class AA certification in Collaborative Teaching 6-12, the following additional course and practicum must be completed: (Draft: Program is being reviewed the Summer of 2013)

o ECT 656 Secondary Methods for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

o ECT 671 Practicum in Collaborative Teaching: 6-12

• If both Class AA Collaborative Teaching K-6 and 6-12 certifications are sought, the candidate must complete the following additional courses and practica: (Draft: Program is being reviewed the Summer of 2013)

o ECT 655 Elementary Methods for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

o ECT 670 Practicum in Collaborative Teaching: 6-12

o ECT 656 Secondary Methods for Students with High Incidence Disabilities

If you are seeking admission to the TVI program, you should follow the guidelines provided below. Whenever you have any questions during this application process, you should contact Dr. Diane Pevsner at dpevsner@uab.edu

1. Go to the ApplyYourself website. Create an account, write down your username and password, and log out. After receiving an email from the ApplyYourself website, you should log in and proceed with submitting an application. NOTE: If you submitted another type of application to UAB in the past, you will need to create a new ApplyYourself account.

2. Plan to submit all required application materials by the admission deadline: April 1st for summer admission July 1st for fall admission November 1st for spring admission

3. Submit a Degree-Seeking Application to the Graduate School for admission to your degree program. 4. Pay $45 ($60 for international students*) online with a credit card.NOTE: Mailing a check will severely delay your admission5. Request official transcripts from all colleges attended (even if just for one course and even if you happened to take that course during high school). Request that your former colleges send official transcripts directly to each of these addresses:

6. Periodically check the status of your application by clicking here: Check Admission Status. You may also inquire about your status by contacting the Graduate School (205-934-8227 gradschool@uab.edu ). Once you receive confirmation that all of your application materials have been received, it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for your application to be processed. If you are experiencing difficulties in confirming the receipt of your application materials, you should contact Dr. Diane Pevsner dpevsner@uab.edu

7. You will receive a letter from the Graduate School congratulating you on your admission as a degree-seeking student. You will also receive an email from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) at the School of Education (SOE). This email will probably provide information about your major and your advisor.

8. As soon as you can, follow through with all instructions provided in your admission letter from the Graduate School especially with respect to processing your BlazerID and UAB email.

9. After you have obtained your BlazerID and email, you will be able to register for classes. Depending on when you register, there will be a deadline for paying the first half of your tuition. Failure to meet this deadline will cause you to be automatically dropped from your courses, and you will need to pay a reinstatement fee.